About
Our members work hard for the local community, and providing generous assistance to local and International Rotary projects.
Welcome to our Club
The Rotary Club of Sorrento is based in District 9815, which encompasses more than 80 clubs serving South East Victoria. District 9815 is split into 7 Community Groups, ours being 9815-5 which includes 13 clubs from Frankston to Sorrento and across to Hastings and Somerville Tyabb. The Sorrento Rotary Club was admitted to Rotary International in 1961, and currently has 50 members. We usually meet at the Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia, at 6.00 pm on the first and third Thursday of each month. However, check the latest bulletin to confirm meeting venues and times.
Sorrento is a small resort town, located at the southern end of the Mornington Peninsula, and is approximately 80 kilometres directly to the south of Melbourne. The first settlement was established in Sorrento in the State of Victoria by the British Government in 1803. The town has a permanent population of approximately 3000 people, however, this swells to some 30,000 people during the peak holiday period, which runs from Christmas to Easter each year. The ocean beach, facing Bass Strait, is popular with the surfing fraternity and the bay side beach is very busy with sailing, recreational boating, swimming and walking during the holiday season. Interestingly, It is home to unique bottle-nosed Dolphins species drawing increasing numbers of tourists and visitors, as well as the locals, who love the mammals in their bay.
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Despite the almost perpetual holiday atmosphere in Sorrento, the Rotary Club of Sorrento members work hard for the local community, providing generous assistance to local and International Rotary projects, both financially and practically. The club is always ready to welcome visitors and new members to the club.
The members of the club, all volunteers, are local business and professional people, retirees, either semi or fulltime, both men and women, consistent with its Charter, and that of Rotary International. The club provides financial and in-kind support for local, district and international projects.
The club raised approximately $90,000 in the year ending June 2024 from the annual Sorrento Art Show, the Opera Dinner, the annual Charity Golf Day, Sausage sizzles at Ocean Beach Road, Sorrento, the Portsea Swim Classic and the Point Nepean Motor Show. These activities are important financially, giving club members the opportunity to be involved in community activities. Distribution of funds raised are mainly given to the local community, some national and international Rotary activities.
The club has provided significant financial support for international projects such as Polio Plus aimed at eliminating polio; Interplast, which provides medical services overseas in conjunction with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.
Our club contributes to Rotary District 9815 projects such as Donations in Kind, sending goods and labour to needy countries.
We support local groups and projects such as Southern Peninsula Community Services – who in turn support the homeless, the two Sorrento Primary Schools, Rosebud Secondary College, Dromana Secondary College and Chisholm TAFE for mature age scholarships.
Overall, Sorrento Rotary Club Inc. endeavours to meet its obligations as a Member of the Family of Rotary Clubs internationally and does this through these and other numerous fundraising events.
Club Directory
The Rotary Club of Sorrento has five avenues of Service available for members to volunteer their time and efforts in projects that benefit the local and international community and provide recognition of Rotary, in particular, those projects which can provide long term benefits through the amenities and facilities for use of the community. Local projects to provide new community facilities/amenities are not a regular annual feature as they usually involve large funding commitments and normally require complex submissions to the Shire authority to obtain permission to undertake works. The club since its inception has been successful in gaining approval and undertaking significant projects in Sorrento. International projects are usually coordinated in conjunction with another Rotary club internationally, other organisations and Rotary International through the Rotary Foundation.
Public Relations
• The Rotary Club of Sorrento designs any required promotional/collateral material, coordinates/administers website and Facebook and oversees public relations and promotional programs.
• Supports Directors and Chairs of Committees to develop and maintain club public relations to promote the club within, and to the community, and represent the projects and purpose of Rotary.
• To convey and maintain positive image to the public.
• Encourages the submission of news articles and photos from club membership.
Vocational
Goals of the Rotary Club of Sorrento
- To assist members of the local communities in gaining and completing secondary and tertiary education for gainful employment.
Purposes
- To encourage people to complete/further their studies at TAFES or other certificated employment agencies.
- To enhance self-worth through education, employment and community involvement for those who may otherwise be marginalised
The Caroline Chisholm Education Foundation
The Rotary Club of Sorrento supports an initiative called Southern Peninsula Connect (SMP). The program recognises the high number of long term unemployed and adult learners who are unable to gain vocational education and who live in the Mornington Peninsula region.
Currently we assist six young adults to gain secondary and further education through the SMP.
Rosebud Secondary College
An established scholarship program, funded for four students valued at $500 each, is offered yearly. The scholarships are allocated to a student from Year 8, Year 9, Year 10, and Year 11.
Dromana Secondary College:
An established scholarship funded for four students valued at $500 each is offered yearly. The scholarships are allocated to a student from from Year 8, Year 9, Year 10 and Year 11. The focus for each award at Dromana SC is for students who are beginning or continuing their subject choices in STEAM subjects. ( Science, Technology, Engineering, Architecture, Maths).
NB All scholarship money for each awardee, both at Primary and Secondary levels is paid directly to the student’s account at the school they attend to assist educational expenses for the following year.
Young Achievement Australia (YAA) Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA)
- Rotary Youth Program for Enrichment (RYPEN)
- Youth Exchange with over 13 students being hosted in and out of Australia
- Annual Scholarships are given for talented Young and Mature aged Students in difficult circumstances through different organisations
Community Services
Community services is where Rotary hits the streets! Raising funds for meaningful infrastructure projects, most notably a community bus enjoyed primarily by our schools extending their outdoor activities, while also available to community groups for modest hire.
Our much-loved barbecue trailer can be seen working away at the Portsea Swim Classic, the Ride and Stride event, school fetes, with a regular weekly appearance in Sorrento village from September to April. We also provide a free barbeque fortnightly, in tandem with the Southern Peninsula Community Support’s SPLaSh program, which provides laundry and shower facilities for the homeless. The running of our government-funded Australia Day Street Party is entrusted to Rotary to engage all aspects of our community celebrating all that is Australian.
We are a proud bunch who set out to improve the lives of those less fortunate by supporting a wide range of local charities.
Fundraising
A robust fund raising program is essential to the ongoing sustainability and success of the RCS.
The key objective of the Fund Raising Committee is to generate sufficient monies to enable the RCS to execute its agreed activity program both internationally and locally.
Fund raising initiatives are inclusive of all members not only for manpower but in recognition that participation is rewarding and provides great fellowship opportunities.
Key activities include the Annual Art Show, Charity Golf Day, Point Nepean Motor Show and the main street sausage sizzles; all of which provide visibility and promotion of the Rotary Club of Sorrento and Rotary International.
New Generations
Goals
To assist youngsters within the local and wider community in creative and monetary manner.
Purposes
To encourage and support youth in becoming active in community opportunities to enhance their personal wellbeing and citizenship values.
Major education projects of the Rotary Club of Sorrento are:
Rotary Club of Sorrento Annual Scholarship Awards
The Rotary Club of Sorrento annually award scholarships and prizes to one year 6 student at Sorrento Primary School and one year 6 student at St Joseph’s School, Sorrento. These scholarships, decided through an interview process by members of the Rotary club, are given to the promising students to assist with their secondary school education costs. The Club also provides three other monetary awards for year 6 students from both schools, to contribute towards uniform or books for their secondary school education.
This association with the two schools is recognised as significant by the members of the club as part of the ongoing relationship with the schools and local community involvement.
Our History
The club was chartered on the 15th September 1961, by the RC of Rosebud, the first President being Ed Johnston.
The club has a current membership of over 40 members whose ages range from 50 plus. Members represent a wide range of vocations and businesses, and work or live in or around the Sorrento area.
Since being chartered the Club has been involved and worked on a number of local projects, providing support in the areas of:
- Chopping wood and working bees for the community
- 1st Rotunda built at the Sorrento Back Beach
- Relocation and renovation of Watts Cottage
- Sorrento Park Drinking Fountain and Rotunda
- BBQ at Hughes Rd
- Restoration of the Police Point Cottages
- Sorrento Community Centre
- Restoration of the historic sorrento railway station
As a club an alliance has been fostered with the local schools:
- St Josephs Primary School
- Sorrento Primary School
- Rosebud Secondary College
- Dromana Secondary College
- In 2015 defibrillators were presented to Sorrento Primary and St Joseph
- In 2016 finance for a kitchen to be installed into Sorrento Primary School
Meetings
Join us on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month @ 6:00pm at the
Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron for a dinner meeting.
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Latest Bulletin
Events
The Rotary Club of Sorrento runs many major and smaller events that benefit the community.
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Get in Touch
For any enquiries about our organisation, please get in touch, We would love to hear from you.
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PO Box 58, Sorrento VIC 3943
Membership
For more info on membership contact Ray Davies on 0411 224 259 or click the link below.